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In October 2008, the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division partnered with the behemoth Exxon Corp., the Tennessee Valley Authority and others to sponsor one of several community conservation days across Shelby County.

A press release for the event said MLGW workers planned to be at 38 Exxon stations and convenience stores on Oct. 10 of that year for a campaign "aimed not only at raising awareness of wise energy usage, but also for customers to finds ways to curb their energy usage and reduce their carbon footprint."

Jerry Collins, MLGW president and CEO, was quoted as saying, "With energy costs rising nationwide, it is becoming even more important for all of us to practice energy conservation in our homes. There are a lot of little things that we can do each day that together add up to big savings. We want to encourage our customers to think about energy conservation."

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Otis Sanford(Photo: Alan Spearman / The Commercial Appeal)

For another community conservation day campaign in May of 2012, MLGW pointed out that Tennesseans use more electricity than any other state, and added that "while MLGW’s electric rates are comparatively low, large amounts of usage can cause bill to be unnecessarily high."

All of this helpful stuff. And thousands of MLGW customers apparently have been heeding the conservation call — perhaps a little too well. Because on Tuesday, utility officials went before a Memphis City Council committee asking for increases totaling more than 8 percent on water, gas and electric rates. The committee agreed to recommend the increases to the full council when it meets Dec. 19. Merry Christmas.

A story about the proposed rate increase in this newspaper last weekend was full of irony. Sales of electricity by MLGW, the story said, have declined modestly but steadily since 2007, thanks in part to more energy efficient lighting and appliances. But also because of conservation measures.

So because the utility is selling less, it now must charge us more. That’s 1 percent more for water, 4.5 percent more for gas and 3 percent more for electricity — all over a three-year period.

That means the average customer, once the full increases take effect, will be paying $11.53 more per month. And for a lot of MLGW customers in Memphis, this is no small amount. "It’s a big deal," Kelly Rayne, senior vice president of public policy for the Greater Memphis Chamber, aptly stated during Tuesday’s council committee meeting.

It’s a big deal because thousands of low-income utility customers are struggling already to meet their monthly MLGW obligations. Many of them are the same ones who made their way to the Exxon stations, the public library and elsewhere over the years on community conservation day looking to take advantage of tips to cut their energy bills.

No doubt some of them are following the tip to fill a drinking glass with enough water to brush their teeth instead of continuously running the faucet.

Others have answered the plea to lower the thermostat, adjust their refrigerator setting, wash their clothes in cold water and change furnace filters more often. Now, the thanks they’ll get is a rate increase because MLGW needs more revenue to keep up with its own increasing costs.

Of course, MLGW is a business, not a nonprofit. And businesses exist to make money. I get it. And granted, we haven’t had an electric rate hike since 2004.

But our public utility company is also a monopoly. And before the full City Council signs off on these rate increases, let’s hope council members shed some additional light on the impact they will have on customers who can least afford them.

Otis Sanford holds the Hardin Chair of Excellence in Journalism and Strategic Media at the University of Memphis. Contact him at 901-678-3669 or at o.sanford@memphis.edu. Follow him on Twitter @otissanford.